This class will survey and give you a start in understanding what you will need to learn to create awesome electronics projects for your makerspace, home or classroom. The course will include electronics like those in the Arduino ecosystem of microprocessors such as sensors, LEDs and other components. We will also cover the sewable circuits that are the underpinning of interactive fashion garments. You will also learn how to find and sort through the many free resources online.

Online learning is a fun, enjoyable and very productive way to learn. Millions of people are learning online each year. You will engage with the instructor and other participants. You will get to know your instructor and other participants. You may make friends. It’s easy. It’s fun.

How the Course Works

It is easy to participate in your online course. After you register, you will be given a web address to go to get into your online classroom. You will have a password and use your email address and password to gain access.

Once inside the online classroom, here’s what you can expect.

Participate when you want

You can participate any time of day or evening. The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are no live real-time requirements or meetings. You decide when you participate.
For the best learning, participants should log into the course on 2-3 different days of the week.

What you will do

For each Unit, you will:

Read the print readings (about 20 pages a week)

Have the option of accessing the online readings

Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides

Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned

Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants

For best learning, you should make one or more comments at 2-3 different times each week.
The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience.

Joan Horvath and Rich “Whosawhatsis” Cameron are the co-founders of maker technology consultancy Nonscriptum LLC (www.nonscriptum.com) and previously were respectively VP of Business Development and VP of R&D at a small Kickstarter-funded 3D printer company. They collaborate on books for Apress, most recently “The New Shop Class.” Joan’s experience includes a 16 year stint in the aerospace industry, adjunct positions at several universities, and consulting in a wide variety of circumstances. She has degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and an Engineering MS from UCLA. Rich is an open-source 3D printer guru who designed one of the early open source 3D printers, the Wallace, and later the commercially-available Bukito.

Course Objectives

Get an overview of the electronics commonly used in maker-type projects including Arduino-compatible components and fashion-oriented sewable circuits.

Understand how projects make it possible to build up several skills at once.

Learn where the open-source and free resources can be found to learn more.